GUIDON staff

Since 1992, Comics On Duty has entertained thousands of service members and civilians alike, boosting morale by shipping comedians to all types of venues — from large theaters to the front lines.

This weekend, the Comics On Duty World Tour arrives at Fort Leonard Wood. Comedians Steve Bills, Paul Ogata, Karen Rontowski and Tom Foss are scheduled to perform a troops-only show at 2 p.m., Saturday, in Baker Theater. At 8 p.m., Saturday, the comics take the mic at Pershing Community Center for a show that’s open to all audience members 18 and older.

Comics On Duty has performed several times on Fort Leonard Wood in the past, including its most recent performance in January, and audiences who have been to one of the group’s past shows can expect to see some familiar faces as well as some newcomers.

Bills and Foss have performed here several times previously. Bills, the tour manager and headliner host, performs a strange blend of oddly sophisticated yet somewhat silly material to put on a show that proves to be infectious with laughter. He is known for his smooth delivery, coupled with a slightly unhinged sense of humor that leaves audiences wanting more.

Foss has also performed at Fort Leonard Wood several times in the past. He is known as a high-energy comic who has performed all over the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. In an interview prior to his last appearance here in January, Foss said the comedians consider it a privilege to be a part of the Comics On Duty tour.

“As a comedian, it is an honor to entertain the men and women who defend my freedom. I use my freedom of speech to make a living, and I am well aware of the sacrifice our troops have made so that I could have this wonderful job,” he said.

You can check out Foss’s comedy at www.TomFoss.net.

 

Ogata has performed around the world, but is best known in his home state of Hawaii. His stand up performance credentials include big name comedy clubs like the Improv and the Laugh Factory, as well as a number of smaller venues, and, as his Web site, www.cyberstupid.com, proclaims, “practically every military base in the Pacific.”

Ogata’s humor centers around his Japanese-American upbringing and recent marital foibles. Named the “Funniest Asian-American Comedian in the U.S.” in 2004 after winning the TakeOut Comedy Competition, he went on to win the prestigious San Francisco International Comedy Competition in 2007. In addition, he has appeared in Comedy Central specials, “The Late Late Show” on CBS, and in shows on TBS, NBC and PBS.

Rontowski’s humor centers on her optimistic outlook. A self-described “New Age Hippie” who has performed across the country and throughout Europe, including several military installations. She’s appeared on Comedy Central, Live at Gotham and Comics Unleashed, and is a regular on the Bob and Tom Radio Show. Karen keeps listeners laughing not only with her standup, but also when she talks about her other career as a paranormal investigator. Audiences can catch a preview of her show at www.KarenRontowski.com.

Tickets to the Comics on Duty World Tour are $5 for the troops-only show. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door for the evening show.

Doors will open an hour before each show.

For more information, call 596.6913 or visit the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Web site at fortleonardwoodmwr.com.